OUR STORY
Community begins
with conversation.
Town Talks Live! is a welcoming St. Louis forum for people who want to listen, learn, and connect across differences.
Our mission is connecting community and conversation. Through civil discourse, we aim to reduce contempt and misinformation and strengthen the relationships at the heart of a healthy democracy.
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Joan VonDras
Joan is a 30-year veteran of education in the St. Louis area. She taught elementary and gifted education in Parkway and Clayton, and literature and writing at UMSL and Webster University. She also taught in a master’s program in education at National Louis University in South County.
Her professional focus has been the power of talk in transforming communities. Town Talks Live! brings her classroom and staff-development experience into the community, creating opportunities for people to hear one another and practice civil discourse.
“Civil discourse begins with me.” — Joan VonDras
30 years
in education.
A lifetime of listening, learning, and helping people find their voice.
HOW WE SHOW UP
Curiosity. Kindness. Connection.
People first.
Every person brings a story. We begin by making room for it.
Across differences.
We welcome political viewpoints and backgrounds across the community.
Conversation with care.
We listen fully, ask thoughtful questions, and treat one another with respect.
LET’S GATHER. LET’S TALK. LET’S ACT.
The next conversation starts with you.
Bring a question, a story, or simply your curiosity. There’s a place for you here.
St. Louis roots. Room for every perspective.